Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerThe Devils bench, along with coach Jacques Lemaire, react after Montreal scored its third goal in the third period Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark.

It is quite possible that the Devils will be the best team not in the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring.

Many believe that had the team somehow managed to pull off the greatest comeback in NHL history — from as far back as 27 points out of a playoff spot on the morning of Jan. 9 — the Devils would’ve been on the kind of roll that would make them very serious contenders for the Cup.

All speculation, of course, now that the Devils no longer have a chance at securing a post-season spot.

“We feel like we have a good enough team to compete with anybody,” veteran forward Patrik Elias said. “We proved it to ourselves in the second half. We have to do it now for four games. We owe it to ourselves and the fans. It’s our job so we’ve got to do it the best way we can and take positives out of it.”

In reality, the Devils never really did get very close.

Even after a 23-3-2 run between Jan. 9 and March 15, which made the rest of the league take notice, they only pulled to within six points of eighth place. They could never get any closer.

“Disappointing, no question about it,” Elias said. “Like I’ve said many times, you work so hard in the off-season to get yourself ready.

“Then 82 games or, in our case, less, to get yourself in the playoffs and have a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup.

“When you don’t do that, it’s disappointing. This is the first time for me. There is a first time for everything but I wish it wasn’t the case this year.”

Jacques Lemaire, who replaced John MacLean as coach Dec. 23, said he feels his players gave all they had in the second half.

Nevertheless, he never stopped pushing for more.

“It’s just sad it was not a good game,” Lemaire said after the Devils were eliminated with Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Their streak of 13 straight playoffs has come to an end. Now the questions must be asked:

• If general manager Lou Lamoriello had made the coaching change earlier, would the Devils have made the playoffs?

• Will Lemaire come back to coach the team next season?

• What will the final season on goalie Martin Brodeur’s contract be like as he reaches his 40th birthday? If he is as good he was in the second half this season, will he sign another deal?

• Can Lamoriello improve the team’s defense in the off-season?

• Is the general manager’s job safe as the organization moves farther away from its last championship in 2003?

• Will they sign Zach Parise, a restricted free agent on July 1, to more than a one-year deal?

This much is certain: The Devils have four meaningless games remaining. That hasn’t happened since 1989.